Yogi Scandal Shows Total Collapse Of Security At National Stock Exchange

The National Stock Exchange was started to root out corruption among Mumbai's brokers and bankers.

Around the National Stock Exchange of India, Chitra Ramkrishna was practically her own institution. A founding member of the bourse, she helped shape it into the world's largest derivatives exchange, opening trading to a growing middle class and serving as its first female chief. In 2016, she stepped down to high praise for her "sterling contribution."

But the reputation of the woman nicknamed "Queen of the Bourse," along with the multi-billion dollar exchange, took a shocking tumble last month. Indian authorities accused Ramkrishna of crimes ranging from evading taxes to, more bizarrely, leaking confidential information for years to an unnamed spiritual guru living in the mountains.

The strange tale of mysticism-meets-technology reveals what could be a complete breakdown of security and best practices at the nation's largest bourse. With the overhang of a messy investigation, bankers in India said the new allegations may not just delay the exchange's much-awaited initial public offering, but also hurt its growing clout in the global equity market.

Over several tumultuous weeks, the authorities arrested Ramkrishna, 59, and Anand Subramanian, her former colleague, who has also been accused of criminal misconduct. Tax authorities searched their homes. This month, Ramkrishna's successor and the exchange's current chief executive, Vikram Limaye, said he would step down when his term ends over the summer. The NSE has invited applications through March 25 for a new leader.